Analyzing Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan's Comments About Tua

General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley were introduced as the Miami Dolphins' new lead decision-makers on Wednesday. And one big decision they'll have to make soon is on Tua Tagovailoa, and the team's QB situation as a whole.

Everyone knows the Dolphins need to find a franchise passer, and while he was short on specifics, Sullivan acknowledged the team’s situation. 

“Obviously, that’s a huge question looming over the organization. I’d be naive to think that everybody doesn’t understand that,” Sullivan said. “I have a lot of respect for Tua. He’s a good football player. He’s accomplished a lot in this league." 

“Whether it’s Tua or anybody else, it’s unfair and irresponsible for me to sit up here and talk about anything specific before I’ve talked to the player himself. Quarterback is the most important position in professional sports.” 

Sullivan also mentioned that he thought Quinn Ewers did a “great job” at the end of the season. The new general manager has to say those things, so don’t read into them too much, regarding the specifics of what Miami’s QB room will look like this season. 

We still expect the team to move on from Tagovailoa and begin the search for a new franchise passer. It wouldn't make much sense for Sullivan to come out and just say the team is cutting Tagovailoa. That would eliminate any trade value he has.

However, we'd also argue that it's pretty much an open secret across the league that the Dolphins wouldn't mind trading Tagovailoa instead of cutting him. A trade would allow the Dolphins to avoid the $99 million dead cap hit they'd take on with a post-June 1 cut.

Still, general managers don't say that stuff publicly, especially not at their opening press conference.

What's Can We Glean for Sullivan's Comments About Tua?

Sullivan took the safe route with his Tua comments, but there's another quote that at least tells us how he views the QB room as a whole.

“We will evaluate that position like we will evaluate every position," Sullivan said. "We will do what’s best for this football team with Tua or anybody else to sit up here today and tell you I have a great understanding of what we’re going to do or which we’re going to go, that would be a lie because there’s just too much work to do.”

Sullivan couched his comments at the end, but it's not hard to read between the lines. Everything in the quarterback room this coming season will be earned. Nobody is guaranteed the starting spot heading into 2026.

He also made a point to say the team would look into drafting a QB every year, if not every other year, and that he wouldn't leave any stone unturned to solidify the game's most important position.

That doesn't exactly sound like someone who is overly keen on keeping Tua around because that would likely prevent him from turning over every stone. There's enough data to know what Tua is and is not at this point in his career.

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